Man Vs Rock

Hey there, Aron! Is it true that you didn't tell anyone where you were going? - Aron Ralston

Today, my family and I went and saw 127 hours, starring James Franco and directed by Danny Boyle.

First off, my rating of the movie

5 on 5 stars.

The movie starts with an interesting set of panels, the screen which is divided into 3 vertical strips, all showing some part of the world (although 70% of the scenes are from India – go figure). The panels eventually turn into one image where we see and individual packing in a rush, shoving food, water, Gatorade and scrambling for a Swiss army knife which just is not retrieved and left behind (for those of you who have seen the movie or heard about Aron Ralston, this 30 second clip makes you want you to shout out “Dude! Get the knife! It’s right there! No!! IT’S RIGHT THERE! GO GET IT!!!”

Alas, Aron leaves without it.

Next we begin to see how Franco’s character is, he’s an adrenaline junkie to say the least, mountain biking, rock-climbing, rappelling, free climbing this guy seems to do it all.

The film goes on for some 16 minutes until Aron gets into his little canyon and the rock rolls down and pins his arm. Suddenly, and brilliantly, the film flashes 127 hours. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Then the real story begins, we’ve all seen the true story movies where we all know what happens, but this time, we know that the protagonist is going to really, really suffer. For instance, Hotel Rwanda,the manager, endures psychological horror, seeing people he knows get killed and the general massacre occurring around him, but he comes through unscathed.

Aron Ralston does not, he gets hammered both physically and psychologically as he fights lack of water, food and erratic switches in the temperature around him from 90 F to 48 F (it only showed it in that scale 32 F is 0 C)

The rest of the movie is constricted into this small set, arm in the wall and Franco being supported by a harness. The congestion of the set is seen as the camera is jostled and shaken as it moves from one spot to another.

Another thing I love about this movie was the music, no not because Rahman did it, but because of how he did it. The movie has very little music, this, along with the eerie silence of the setting make it a truly gripping  one. The silence is interrupted only by Aron talking into his video-camera as he compiles a video diary. The silence made his predicament even more unnerving, one keeps thinking that, you know maybe someone will come and see him and help him. Only we know that it won’t happen.

The next thing that really spoke to me was how the movie was able to convey Aron’s plight, his fear of losing it and how he come so, so close to the edge of sanity and along with it, his inner strength, but regardless he is able to fight what he wants to believe and realise the truth that lies before him.

I’m going to skip over the specifics because I really recommend to everyone who’s reading this to watch the movie.

On that note, the amputation scene, its 5 minutes long. If you don’t think you can deal with it, when you see him start, leave the theatre and ask your friend to call you when it ends. That one scene should NEVER make you want to NOT see this movie.

The end scenes were the best for me, the filmography was done so well that by the end of it, I felt so connected to James Franco’s character that when he finally sees some chance of rescue in the form of 3 people, who upon seeing him turn and high-tail it back to him, I swear, I almost started crying, not out of sadness or something, but out of joy, as the next 5 minutes really convey a herculean message of not giving up and how even the impossible is possible (please don’t sue me Adidas).

In short, the movie is as Ralston put it himself

"The movie is so factually accurate it is as close to a documentary as you can get and still be a drama."

There you have it, a movie that seems like one with blood and gore is simply a story of survival, and without sounding corny my quote on the movie

"127 Hours is a true battle between a man.......... and a rock."

Inside the Asylum rates this movie 5 on 5.

On a humorous note: This movie show James Franco’s acting development from his roles as Harry Osborn in the spider-man movie!